flaunted like a badge is nowhere to be found, and for a moment, I get a glimpse of the same girl who knocked on my door during the summer of Kail. She was awkward, innocent, and nerdy then. I didn’t even know what to do with her. I hadn’t ever met someone so unsure of themselves, but goddamn, it was charming. I didn’t want to trust her, but after a while, it just felt natural. Things were uncomplicated with her. She never judged me. She didn’t even know who the fuck I was, and it felt good.
But was it real? Or was she really playing me?
Looking at her now, I can’t tell. She wanted to win, no matter the cost. That’s why she did what she did this weekend. So why does she regret it? Why does she feel bad at all? Or is this just another act? Fuck if I know. But her coach is on her case at practice, and the whole dance team looks frazzled and uncertain. Nobody has ever dared to cross Audrey before. Hell hath no fury when she finds out it was sweet little Kail.
At football practice, Coach pulls us aside to inform us that Jared’s parents yanked him out of school. Apparently, the news of this weekend got back to them somehow, and they weren’t pleased. Now the word is he’ll be attending the remainder of his senior year at a Christian wilderness program far, far away. I won’t lose sleep over the loss, but admittedly, I do feel a little sorry for the dude now that I know he wasn’t actually banging Kail. Although, there’s still that question. He could have.
Like clockwork, Alana shows up on my doorstep when I get home, asking me if I want to come to dinner. If I tell her no, she’ll just bring a plate by, and honestly, I’m in the mood to piss Kail off. I want to see how long this contrition of hers will last.
“What is he doing here?” Kail blinks up at me as she enters the dining room, freezing when she sees me at the table.
“Kail.” Alana stares at her daughter with wide eyes. “Be nice.”
“Aw, come on, Kail.” I smirk. “Am I really that bad?”
She lets out an audible groan and forces herself into the seat next to me.
“Theo’s working late tonight,” Alana calls out as she heads back to the kitchen. “So, it’ll just be us three for now.”
As soon as her mother is out of earshot, Kail leans forward on her elbows and hisses. “Shouldn’t you be out tormenting some unsuspecting victim right now?”
“You’re one to talk.” I arch an eyebrow at her. “How does it feel to destroy other people’s lives?”
Her face blanches, and suddenly, she appears fascinated by the plate in front of her. Shiny tears cling to the edges of her eyelids, proof that no matter what she’d like anyone to believe, there’s still a conscience in there somewhere.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she whispers.
Alana returns with a casserole big enough to feed a family of ten and sets it on the table between us before taking her seat.
“I hope you’re hungry.” She grins at both of us.
Neither Kailani or I speak, so her mother dishes up our meal and tells us about how she filled care packages for impoverished children. When she’s finished with that topic, she maneuvers to another. Something about Theo’s son, Miles, hopefully coming home for Christmas this year. I’ve seen him around a few times when he’s on leave from the military, but I don’t know him well enough to add anything to the conversation. I eat two helpings of the chicken and rice, and Kail shoves her food around her plate, opting for only a few small bites while her mother watches in disapproval.
“Wait until you see what I made for dessert.” Alana pushes to her feet, desperate for her daughter to eat something.
“I’m full.” Kailani grabs her plate and takes it into the kitchen, dumping the remnants into the trash.
Her mother watches with a hollow expression, and I listen to them argue about Kail’s eating habits for the next five minutes before she orders her daughter to be polite and join me at the dining table. She complies with a scowl on her face, and my amusement doesn’t improve her sour mood.
“You shouldn’t be such a brat to her,” I remark. “She wants you to be healthy. That’s what mothers are supposed to do.”